Divided Waters
by KatDrama
Summary: The girl they thought they knew, the pure blade soaked in blood, the renegades slain, and the battlefield that defines them. Her eyes turned to ice will Sachi shut her heart to the others and become the next Hitokiri Battosai?
1. Chapter One: Drifting Memories

All-righty, my peeps, here it be! The anticipated sequel to "Whispering Sunshine". Much more surprises and plot twists this time around. Much thanks to all of you who diligently reviewed 'Whispering Sunshine'. They were much appreciated. And a special thanks to Twilight Sky who took the consideration and care not to spoil the ending to those who 'might' stumble across the reviews page. Before I began the first chapter of this story I suppose I should clue you in as to what on earth happened in the prequel. (though if I were you I'd just go read it! It's only 17 chapters long.)  
  
In 'Whispering Sunshine' Sachi is a girl with blonde hair (and is about the size of Sano) who had been forced to live like a slave since she could remember. Then one day she made a daring escape and her pursuers threw rocks at her, one hitting her in the back of the head, causing temporary blindness. Kenshin sees that she's under attack and saves her. She comes with him and lives at the dojo (and for a while she does not speak at all).  
  
One day Yahiko is teaching her some moves from Kamiya-Kasshin-ryu when her boss's men decide to attack. In the fight she gets a long scar that goes from above her left eye to down nearly to her chin. After this point she regains her sight.  
  
When she first opens her eyes and discovers she can see she sees Kenshin's face for the first time and old memories come back to her. With fear she runs for her life, destroys some property and gets thrown in the slammer. Sano helps her weasel her way out of jail, and back at the dojo she confesses that when she was a little girl the Hitokiri Battosai had killed her father and since then she had been under the oppression of the robbers who found her. Kenshin asks her to forgive him and she gives him her father's diary (which is in a foreign language) and asks him to find someone to translate it.  
  
Then a wound on her arm gets infected, she goes to the hospital and gets in a fight with Megumi. After this fight Megumi and Sano make out and then get engaged.  
  
Later, at the dojo, Aoshi Shinomori arrives with Sachi's former suppressor's thugs. Aoshi kidnaps Sachi and challenges Kenshin to a fight at the bridge in three days. In the fight Kenshin is loosing and is down. Aoshi is about to strike the final blow when Sachi steps in with Kenshin's sakabato (which he had let go of in order to catch Aoshi's strike with his hands). She faces off with Aoshi until he is swept off the bridge by a log because the flooding river is starting to overtake the bridge. Sachi saves Aoshi's life by giving him the handle of the sakabato and pulling him up while she grabbed the blade.  
  
Aoshi said his goodbyes and left. (for those of you that were wondering, yes, Aoshi is safe. He left the scene quickly and was no longer on the bridge). Kenshin came up to ask Sachi if she was all right. When Sachi noticed the water coming over the bridge she pushed Kenshin unto the bank just as the water rushed over and washed her away. Kenshin ran along the bank but never saw her. Sobbing, he collapsed on the bank, grasping her father's diary, vowing that he would complete her last wish if it were the last he would do.  
  
But don't take my word for it, you should read it. Now, unto the sequel!  
  
--  
  
**'Divided Waters'  
  
Chapter One:  
  
Drifting Memories  
  
By KatDrama**  
  
The bright summer sun scattered through the fluffy white clouds that dotted the sky. Looking at the reflection of the calm blue sky in his washbasin, Kenshin scrubbed wearily at the laundry. No matter how occupied he kept himself his thoughts kept drifting back to her. He had always enjoyed his quiet work time with his companion. Washing the clothes had been her favorite chore. And she had liked pretty much all chores. _What a hard worker_. His thoughts floated by like the clouds.  
  
He sighed and continued scrubbing. _Where are you now, Sachi-dono? Are you alive? Are you looking up at the serene sky and thinking of me as I am of you? Do you miss us? Could you come back?_ The former Hitokiri closed his eyes reverently as a single crystal tear rolled down his cheek and splashed into the wash bucket, mingling with other particles of it's own kind.  
  
Across the yard a raven-haired girl ceased her kendo practicing and observed the silently grieving rurouni. _Oh, dear_. She sighed. _He's thinking of _**her**_ again_. She snorted. Kaoru had always disliked the girl, as she did all competitors for Kenshin's love. But this time she worried that her rival might have won. Why does it seem that you have to die to be the love of his life? She shook her head as she thought about what Kenshin had told her of his first wife, Tomoe. _Will I ever be a lasting memory for this man, or just a budding flower that shall fade away before it has a chance to bloom?_ She sadly wondered.  
  
_Women._ Yahiko muttered, noticing his instructor's hesitation as he swung his shinai with a steady rhythm compared to her distracted motion. He softly followed her gaze to the redhead washing clothes. Memories that seemed so far in the past, but had really only occurred a little over a year ago flashed into his mind.  
  
-flashback-  
  
_"Yah! Yah!" Yahiko stepped forward to put emphasis in each of his practice swings.  
  
"No! No! No! You're doing it all wrong!" Kaoru shouted at him. "Here! You do it like this! Got it?" She wrapped her arms around her student and put her hands of his on the grip of his shinai as she guided him through the move of the Kasshin style that he was learning.  
  
"Okay! Okay! I get it now! Like this, right?" He pushed his sensai off and swung some more.  
  
"Close enough." Kaoru muttered. "Kenshin, when are you going to have breakfast ready?!" She yelled over her shoulder and stormed off to the kitchen.  
  
Sachi tentatively moved forward to where she heard the swing of Yahiko's shinai. She was quite curious as to what he was doing.  
  
"Oh, hey Sachi." Yahiko stopped practicing and swung his bamboo sword over one shoulder. "Man, what is up with Kaoru today?" He shook his head.  
  
Sachi shook her head in fear. Quickly grasping her long ponytail she clasped it close to her with both hands in fear that the maniac woman was nearby. Yahiko laughed at the girl's childish antics.  
  
"Yahiko!! I don't hear you practicing!!" The said woman yelled from somewhere inside the dojo. The shouting was quickly followed by some loud shrieks. "Kenshin, you let it catch on fire!!!!!"  
  
Inside the kitchen Kenshin smiled nervously. "But it was you who was boiling the water, Ms. Kaoru. That it was."  
  
Outside in the courtyard, Sachi and Yahiko could clearly make out the sound of water sloshing and a pot clattering against the floor, and a certain rurouni yelling something about how the hot boiling water burns. The two figures giggled. Yahiko turned to face the blind girl. "See? What'd I tell ya? Kaoru can't even boil water right!" He smiled broadly. Though Sachi could not see his smile, she caught the tone of his voice and brightly returned the gesture.  
  
Sachi bravely reached forward and found Yahiko's arm. The boy stood still as she traced his arms to his hands and the shinai. She turned her head as if to question him.  
  
"It's a shinai, a bamboo sword." He explained. "Would you like to try?" Sachi's smile beamed as she vigorously nodded her head. "Okay, be right back!" Yahiko ran off to the training hall, and came back momentarily with another bamboo sword clutched in his hand. "Here." He guided her hands to the correct grip.  
  
"Now let's see..." Yahiko scratched his head. "Usually when ugly shows me a move she just does it and I observe it...but you can't exactly do that. And you're to big for me to guide you through it from behind...so let's try this." He popped up between the larger girl's arms and slid his hands underneath hers. "Instead of me being behind you, you be behind me and feel the movement, okay?"  
  
Sachi nodded her head with a look of determination plastered upon her face. "Here, this is the first swing." Yahiko led her through the move several times. "Now you try it." He backed away from her to give her space. Sachi tightened her grip and held the pretend sword above her head before slicing through the air in a solid gliding motion. Yahiko stood amazed. "Perfect!" He congratulated his newfound pupil. "Now just repeat as many times as you can before breakfast. Don't worry if you work up a sweat. You're supposed to do that." He moved a safe distance away from her before continuing his own practice.  
  
-end flashback-  
_  
The boy smiled subconsciously at the memory. She had been a natural and she had been the first woman to respect him. She had even risked her life for him...  
  
-flashback-  
  
_Sachi knew that Yahiko was wounded. The men were after her. Either way she would die. It was time to take a stand. She moved her feet apart in a fighter's stance that somehow came to her by instinct.  
  
"Oh hoh. You've been training, I see. Well, come and get me. Never mind, I'll get you!" One of the men charge forward. He aimed his blow at her shoulder joint, but unable to see the action, Sachi dodged the wrong way, putting her head at the mercy of the blade.  
  
Sachi stood dumbstruck for a moment as her blindfold fluttered to the ground in two pieces. She gingerly reached her hand up and felt the warm blood gushing from the gash that went from above her left eye almost all the way down to her chin. Sachi flicked the blood from her fingers and once again took a stance.  
  
"Sachi! No!!" Yahiko came barreling forth with a full head of speed. He plunged into one her would-be attackers, knocking the wind out of the man. "Are you okay?" Yahiko turned to ask the girl with blood seeping down her face. The girl nodded her head.  
  
Suddenly Sachi felt strong arms wrapping around her and a dagger blade pressed against her throat. "Give up boy!" Sachi's captor called. "Or else she goes down. Give yourself up willingly to us and we'll spare her."  
  
Sachi bit the man's wrist. The taste of his filthy flesh filled her mouth and made her eyes water, but she stayed latched on for all her life.  
  
"Let go of me you b!" He hollered as he shook his arm wildly. He moved his hand with the dagger over as he tried to pry her fangs loose from his skin. In the process a bleeding wound appeared on the side of Sachi's neck.  
  
"Sachi!!" Yahiko ran in, hitting the man hard with his shinai where he knew it would give the man the most pain. It worked and the man immediately released his prisoner.  
  
"Die you brat!" A man charged and dealt Yahiko a devastating blow to his rib cage. Blood spurted out of Yahiko's mouth as he coughed and held his side.  
  
Fuzziness began to seep into Sachi's vision. Wait a minute! Vision! Yes! Little by little she saw shapes and colors. They were very dark and blurry but at least now she could SEE her enemies! At least, she saw well enough to fight back.  
  
Several men were working away at her, edging her and Yahiko away from each other. She blocked their blows with the shinai as well as she could, but they were still inflicting more damage on her than she was to them. Suddenly she heard a cry of pain as Yahiko went to the ground.  
  
"You're hard to get rid of!" One man exclaimed as he stomped Yahiko's face into the dirt. "But luckily, I'm experienced in disposing of brats!" He picked the boy up and flung him into the air. As he came sailing back to the ground, the man hit Yahiko with the back of his sword, sending him flying across the courtyard.  
  
"I've had about enough of this. Tie the girl up. I'll dispose of the witness." The leader ordered as he drew a gun from his coat. Clicking a bullet into the barrel he pointed it at the helpless kid.  
  
Sachi felt the men trying to bind her but she fought her way free. "Y-A-H- I-K-O!!!!!!!!!!!" As if in slow motion, Sachi screamed as she launched forward. Adrenaline filled her veins as the bullet was fired from the barrel.  
  
Sachi felt a sickening pain in her arm as the bullet made impact. She fell just feet from Yahiko, their blood forming pools in the dusty ground.  
  
_-end flashback-  
  
_Sachi, I sure do miss you._  
  
"Yahiko, why have you stopped practicing?" A sharp voice drew him away from the chilling memory.  
  
Yahiko turned his sorrowful brown eyes to look at his instructor.  
  
"Well?!" Kaoru put her hands on her hips and tapped a bare foot as she waited for the answer.  
  
"I..." The young Tokyo samurai hung his head low with sadness. "I was thinking of 'her'."  
  
"Get over it!" Kaoru shouted. "She's long gone by now. If she had survived she would have come back by now. It's been nearly four months!" She mocked.  
  
"Would you just shut up?!" Yahiko's face scowled as tears began to ring the edges of his eyes. "Just because you say she's dead doesn't necessarily mean that she is. She could still be out there!" He yelled defiantly.  
  
Kenshin drew his eyes reluctantly from the reflective water to the quarrelling two in the courtyard. Wiping his sudsy hands on a towel he stood up and slowly plodded his way across the dojo yard, the empty sheath that had once been home to his sakabato flapped loosely at his side, a constant reminder of his ever need for repentance. He stood silently at the sidelines for a moment before stepping in. Brushing the tears from his eyes he placed a supportive hand on the young boy's shoulder. "Yahiko is right, Kaoru-dono. We must never give up hope, that we mustn't. Right, Yahiko-kun?" He smiled down at the fuming boy.  
  
"Yeah! We can never give up hope that someday Sachi will show up!" Yahiko hurriedly agreed with the rurouni who had come to his rescue.  
  
Kaoru threw her shinai to the ground and stomped it hard with her foot before looming away. Stopping halfway to her room she turned and stared the freeloaders down. "You guys just don't know when to stop, do you? Face it! She's gone, and good riddance!" Her face flushed the hue of a ripe cherry.  
  
Yahiko sniffed back a tear and looked up at his hero, the ex-Battosai for support.  
  
"Do not worry, Yahiko-kun." Kenshin massaged the child's shoulders to try to comfort the strong-headed boy. "Sachi-dono is of strong spirit and determination. If she is out there she will come back. Maybe not today, or tomorrow, or next week, or maybe within the next year, but someday she will march trough the dojo gate triumphantly and we will be here to welcome her with open arms."  
  
"You think so?" Yahiko wiped his face with his shirtsleeve.  
  
"Hai. She may just be delayed, that is all." The rurouni smiled.  
  
--  
  
**Four months earlier:  
**  
"Hey, Sakura! Come see this!!" A little boy called from down by the winding river than ran near his home village..  
  
"What is it, Toshi?" A skinny farmer girl in ragged clothes flipped her jet-black hair and shifted the weight of the basket of vegetables she was carrying to her hip impatiently. She shuffled her feet on the dusty path and glared at her childish little brother.  
  
"There's a body in the river!" Her brother, Toshi exclaimed.  
  
"What?!" The girl named Sakura dropped the basket. Vegetables forgotten and thrown helter skelter across the path; the girl skidded down the grassy bank to where her brother stood prodding a person who lay in the shallows of the river.  
  
"Do you think it's dead?" He questioned in his little boyish way.  
  
"I don't know." Sakura bent over and studied the poor creature that had washed up on the bank. Underneath the layers of mud she thought she saw the shine of blonde hair. The person's right arm was stretched back unnaturally, and her left leg was bent up underneath her body. Cuts and scratches, the worst of which was a nasty gouge on her left arm. "I suppose we could take it back to the village."  
  
"Ewww. Why?" Toshi's face twisted up in the most indignant face.  
  
"Look at the chest rising and falling. I'm pretty sure it's alive." His sister pointed out. Sure enough, the person was breathing shallowly. "You go and get old Mrs. Tenuki. She was a midwife in her younger days, she might know something 'bout mending peoples."  
  
"Okay." The little boy sped off. Gingerly Sakura linked her lanky arms under the muscular ones of the unconscious girl and drug her out of the water. A pitiful groan escaped her lips. Setting the body down Sakura noticed a shiny object clasped in the person's hand. Prying the handle from her clammy fingers, Sakura held it up and watched it shine in the sun.  
  
"Wow." She whispered in admiration. "A reverse blade sword." 


	2. Chapter Two: Stuck

A/n: Hi guys! Sorry that it's taken me so long to update but I was really busy. That and I'm trying to finish my Transformer fic "Jet Blast". It's almost to the end but I have writers block...again...and so I realized that I needed to update this story. And so, here we go!

**'Divided Waters'**

**Chapter Two:**

**By KatDrama**

Brown, swirling water surged around her, thrashing her until she begged for mercy. But the body of water showed no compassion. It threw her against rocks and debris, dragging her underneath its raging surface so that it was a rare treat to breathe. She would pop up over its surface and gasp for a few meager sips of air before the water decided she needed another dunking. Pain filled her body, making her wish that she could scream. Still, it was within this turmoil that Sachi held fast to Kenshin's sword. The water filled her eyes and lungs. She struggled to find her way to the surface. When she was allowed to reach the top she was only met with more hurt and terror. Sachi's eyes froze wide as she saw the large jagged boulder the river was pushing her too at such an accelerated rate.

It was with this same, terrified expression that Sachi awoke. Beads of cold sweat lined her body. She gasped for air, realizing that she was reliving the nightmare in her dreams. Her blue eyes darted across the ceiling and then to her surroundings. _This is not the Kamiya dojo! _She frightfully realized. In a flash she sat up, only to meet a rush of numbing pain that pulled her back down to the mat on which she laid.

She breathed ragged breaths as she tried to subdue the pain by pure will. When the throbbing in her head had subsided to the point where she barely heard the woodpecker attacking her brain she began to listen for other signs of life.

She was in a small room with a nearly dirt floor. All around her was poverty. Listening intently she began to hear strains of what going on outside the thin and dirty walls of the room. There seemed to be much yelling and cursing. There was what sounded like metal clashing against metal. Above the noise she heard a girl's voice yelling at someone "sound the gong!" So it didn't surprise her to soon after hear the hastened beatings of a gong.

_This...is really weird..._Sachi thought as her eyes drifted back to the thatched ceiling above her. _It sounds like a battle outside. Oh, if only I could get up. _Thinking this, the injured teen gritted her teeth as she tried to sit herself up on her elbows, only to receive a dosage of excruciating pain from her right shoulder. At the sudden shock of the pain Sachi reflexively screamed her lungs out and grabbed her shoulder protectively as she tried to ease the sickening feeling that she felt running through her arm. She cared not think about why her right hand had gone motionless and numb and swollen like fresh road kill.

Hearing the girl scream a little brown hair boy toddled into the room. He looked to be five at most. His eyes were wide with horror as he looked at Sachi.

Sachi smirked through the pain at the sight of the little boy. "What's the matter? Looks like you've seen a ghost."

To which the little boy gasped and ran out of the room screaming for his sister, yelling at the top of his little voice, "it's alive! It's alive! It's alive!"

Sachi delicately lay back down upon the dingy futon beneath her. She didn't know where she was or who the bleep she was sharing a house with, but one thing was for certain: she was not going anywhere for a while.

--

A/n: Sry that the chapter is so short and that this story really hasn't gotten anywhere yet. I'm going to be gone for a while, so I don't know when I'll be able to update again. I intended to make this chapter much longer with more to it, but since I've been so busy I don't know when I'll be able to write some more again, so I just wanted to put this up so I could tell you guys that. I know. Go ahead and hate me! I'm really sorry, but when life gives you lemons you just have to throw them at people. Please review and tell me what you think. Suggestions would be nice.


	3. Chapter Three: They Need a Hero

A/n: Hi everybody! Thanks for the great support you've shown this story. I'm surprised that you guys liked that last chapter because it was so short. But, because you guys all liked it so much, I'm trying to write better. I have no idea if this chapter will live up to the last one, but I hope it will at least give you something interesting to read, ne?

FYI: the first part of this chapter IS NOT a dream sequence. It's retelling Kenshin's angst at Sachi's sudden disappearance. In this story I will be switching a lot from 'past' (what happened before all this) to 'present past' (where the story is with Sachi) and 'present' (where we were at the first chapter of the story.) if something is a dream/flashback sequence I will so state, but for now, we're traveling through time a little.

**'Divided Waters'**

**Chapter Three:**

**They Need a Hero**

**By KatDrama**

"Sachi!" Kenshin screamed his lungs out as he ran along the edge of the riverbank. He felt like his whole life, his whole worth was being drowned in the murky depths of some flooding river. His frantic eyes searched the surging waters, but no blonde head penetrated its surface. No sweet smiling face laughed and reverently told him that she was all right. No sweet smiling face would ever speak to him again. The young teenager would no longer be there for him to take care of. He reached out his hand and swiped at the air, as if to grasp her and hold on to her. But in his hands he held nothing and in his heart she had jerked away, leaving a gaping hole that he couldn't bring himself to fill.

His foot catching a rock, the little rurouni did an ungraceful dive into the earth before him. He spat out dirt and pebbles as he righted himself on his knees. His eyes remained focused on the treacherous river. He sat kneeling, dumbfounded at the fact. Could she...be gone? Sachi, the hearty, sweet, loving, kind, dependent blonde? It seemed overwhelming that how in an instant, 15 years can go down the drain, rendered to never again appear.

The once coldhearted killer felt his eyes becoming moist. Years and years had gone by since he had felt that feeling. With heart wrenching sobs of utter sadness, the former Hitokiri let it all out. The crystal droplets that had formed in his purple eyes toppled over each other as they ran a race down his scarred face. He shivered from the cold wind as the tears found their way to his open chest. Kenshin reached up a tender, quivering hand to wipe them away when it brushed against a hard object he had hidden within his shirt. Silently he reached within his gi and pulled out the small book with the strange writing.

His tear stricken eyes hovered upon the little book. It was the diary of Sachi's father, the man he had been condemned to kill so many years ago. A twist of fate, some might call it, that Sachi had asked him to find someone to translate the personal writings of someone he had murdered. _Sachi..._He could hear the footsteps of people running up behind him, but the once legendary manslayer cared not to turn around. He didn't need to. From the panicked voices calling to him he knew that Kaoru and Yahiko would soon be upon him. _Sachi, you asked of me to translate this book. As your last request, I will not stop until I have fulfilled it._ His tears rolled off of his steep chin and unto his white hakama.

"You're alive!" Sachi was jerked awake by the exclamation coming from a teenage girl that stood dumfounded in the doorway to the room. She didn't know how long she had drifted off but the supposed battle outside must have been over by then.

"Yeah..." Sachi moaned as she rolled her head so she could see the new visitor. The girl was small, not quite the size of Kaoru. Sachi supposed that she was no more than 13 years old. She wore a worn blue kimono that went down to about the length of her knobby knees. She had matted black hair and haunting brown eyes. Somehow, Sachi knew immediately that the girl belonged to the household in which she was laid up. Maybe the layers of dirt were a give off.

"Can you move?" The girl kneeled down on the dirty floor and studied the wounded person.

"Somewhat." Sachi managed to speak through clenched teeth as she tried to sit up.

"Hmm." The girl tenderly pushed her back to her mat. "Old Mrs. Tenuki, she used to be a midwife, you know, she came to look at you. She says that your shoulder is dislocated and that your leg is broken beyond fixing."

"What? What on earth happened?" Sachi closed her eyes tightly, hoping that it was just an awful dream and that she would wake up any minute. "Where am I?"

"Oh." The black haired girl smiled a bit as she rocked back on her heals. "My name is Sakura. I assume you've met my little brother Toshi?"

"Aw, the little brown haired kid? Yeah, I saw him. I am called Sachi." The blue-eyed teen looked up at the younger girl. "How...did I get here?"

"We found you in the river."

"How long have I been here?"

"Since this morning." The jet-black haired girl smiled brightly. "We thought you we're dead. How'd you end up in the river?"

"Long story..." Sachi moaned and rolled over again.

"Well, you're not going anywhere..." Sakura was starting to remind Sachi of a little spiky haired pest back at the dojo. _Persistent little bug..._she thought.

"You never answered _my _questions, so why should I answer yours?" She replied.

"Oh." Sakura blinked in surprise before breaking out into a smile again. "I'm sorry. I forgot. You're in our village!" She spread her lanky arms wide.

Inwardly Sachi rolled her eyes at the girl's incompetence. "And what village might that be?"

The 13-year-old pursed her lips and sat in deep concentration for a minute. "I...don't know. We're not a major town, just a rural gathering where people have built houses so they could farm the surrounding land. Everyone here is a farmer." She answered.

"Great." Sachi whished she could slam her head into a hard wall, but since she couldn't get up she settled with smacking herself with her good hand. "I'm stuck in a no-name village filled with incompetent farmers, God knows _what _injuries, no doctor, and to top it off, no way to defend myself!"

"Oh, that reminds me." Sakura stood and backed out of the room to return in a moment with a sword. "I...uh...borrowed your sakabato."

"Gimme that! It's not even mine! You had no right to take it!" Sachi snatched the weapon with her left arm.

Sakura pursed her lips and batted her eyelashes dangerously. "Then, why, might I ask, do _you _have it?" She smiled evilly.

"That's my business!" Sachi roared. "Now, would you help me up and show me the quickest way to back to Tokyo?!"

Sakura's eyes began to mist with tears and her little mouth hung agape.

"Hey, it's not that I don't like you, it's just, I have to get back home. Kenshin-kun and the others are probably worried sick by now!" Sachi tried to make the young teen feel better.

Sakura turned her back to the injured girl, her ratty black hair clinging to her sweaty face. "So...if what you say is true...you _are not_ the wielder of the sword?" She hung her head and spoke in a low, melancholy voice.

"Yeah..." Sachi's eyebrows rose at the girl's sudden strange behavior. "What's it to you?"

The young woman turned back to face her captive...err...guest. "It's just...that we...I mean, everyone in this village, we were hoping you could help us. We have been looking for a great warrior to defeat the kaiten-gumi."

"Who are they?" Ignoring the triggered pain warnings from her body, Sachi pulled herself up to a sitting position, cradling her stiff right arm in her lap.

"They are a band of renegade samurai who are too lazy to find jobs or work in this new era of no swords. They terrorize the local villages and plunder all of our few precious belongings and food. They are weak cowards." Sakura's eyes found a new fire as her palms folded into fists. "They attack us while the men are out in the fields tending to the crops, leaving nothing but old women and children to stand in their way."

"Is that who you were fighting earlier?" Sakura had Sachi's full attention now. These poor farmers, they had barely enough to make a living for their families. Someone needed to stand up for them, even if it had to be her.

"Yes. We have devised a system: When they come to town we girls and children run out and storm them while someone sounds a gong, signaling for the men to return. But usually the thieves are gone by the time they return, for they are afraid to face someone who might actually defeat them."

"They sound really weak." Sachi summarized.

"Hai, most of them are just wannabes. But, there are a few among their ranks who are true fighters. Luckily for us, they do not wish to work alone, so when their clan flees, so do they."

"Tell me, Sakura. Is there any local healer that might be able to get my arm back into place? Are you sure that the lady said my leg was beyond fixing?" Sachi leaned forward, rubbing her dislocated arm tenderly, trying to get the blood flowing back into it.

"Well, when my father and brothers return from the fields tonight, one of them should be strong enough to get your arm back in it's socket. But Mrs. Tenuki says that you dislocated your knee, which normally would be fixable, but then your upper knee socket was crushed to tiny fragments of bone, so there is nothing to pop your knee joint back into."

Sachi winced. "So, my leg is going to be useless for life?"

"Something like that."

"Well, I'll just have to make the best of it if I am to defeat your renegade band of samurais now, won't I?" Sachi smiled through the pain.

Sakura's eyes lighted up like fireflies in a dark night. "You mean you will help us?"

"I will do everything in my power to stand against them."

"Oh, thank you! Arigatou! Arigatou! Arigatou!" Sakura grabbed Sachi and squeezed her tight.

"Ow...uh...ow...my...um...arm? You're...um...crushing it!" Sachi struggled to breathe through the tight embrace.

"Oh, sorry." Sakura quickly let go and the dazed blonde fell to her mat with a swirly look upon her face.

"Oh...that's okay...I quite enjoy the pain. Really...I do." She spoke wearily. To which Sakura giggled some more.

* * *

a/n: okay, I hope you guys at least grasp some of the main plot now: Kenshin is going to find someone to translate the diary. Sachi is going to help fight for this village. But mind you, there will be surprising twists along the way, (though, probably the least of which is that, yes, Sachi and the Kenshin-gumi will meet up again, but I'll leave you wondering as to how.) now plz review!

p.s. yes, I know, I used the name of the group of samurai from the end-of-voume special from volume one of the manga, (the Kaiten party) but I couldn't think of anything else to use becuase I don't know the japanese word for 'renegade' (which would have been preferable) and I couldn't find any other word (stupid online Jap to Eng dictionary. If you don't know how to spell it exactly right you won't find any matches . ) so, if you have any suggestions, i would like to hear them. I'm not sure if this band of samurai will turn out to actually BE the Kaiten party, so for right now, the Kaiten-gumi is just a renegade band of samurai, okay?


	4. Chapter Four: Assistance

**'Divided Waters'**

**Chapter Four:**

'**Assistance'**

**By KatDrama**

**Disclaimer: I do not in any way, shape or form own Rurouni Kenshin. I do, however, claim this plot and all my own original characters (Sachi, Sakura, Toshi, Akio, ect.)**

**Note: for those of you who might have ever read my first fanfic ever "A Star in the Night" you might recognize the names Toshi and Akio, but I assure you, the characters by those names in that story are different than those in this story. I just didn't have time to search for new male Japanese names, so recycled the ones I had. **

_To Tsukayama Yutaro – _

_Kon'nichiwa Yutaro-san. I trust things are going well for you in Germany? Have the doctors made any progress on your arm? We miss you very much here at the Kamiya-dojo, and we are all eagerly awaiting the day that you might return to Japan. But sadly this letter is not meant of pleasantries. Yutaro-san, I have a favor that I must ask of you. _

_You see, a recent friend of mine endowed upon me a task that I cannot complete. She is the daughter of a man I once killed back during the days of the Bakumatsu. For years she lived as a slave to a band of ruthless thieves. I believe it is by fate that we happened to meet on the dusty road that fall day. Some angry men were pursuing her and throwing stones as she ran from town, desperate to escape her captors. Seeing her knocked down by a large stone I took a stand for her and the men fled. Because of injuries she was blind for quite some time, and mysteriously, she also never spoke a word. But when her blindness had worn off and she realized who I was she became quite terrified. After quite an ordeal of trouble she finally settled down, and to my surprise, forgave me for the misery I had caused her. But in exchange for this gift of grace she asked of me one thing. She gave me her father's journal, and asked of me to translate it so that she might learn about her past. The only problem being is that her father's native language was German, the same as the country in which you now reside._

_Yutaro-san, if you cannot find it in your power to help me in this task, I ask of you to at least find someone trustworthy that will. The girl who it belongs too has recently..._

The pen stopped momentarily, dripping a puddle of black ink unto the crisp paper. A dull red haired man bent over the ink set by the light of a dim lamp as he thought about what word he should use.

_...disappeared. We do not know if she is alive or dead, but either way I intend to fulfill the last request that she asked of me. Please, help me to reach that goal._

_-Himura Kenshin_

Kenshin sighed as he looked at the completed letter. As much as he hated to ask favors he knew that he could not translate Sachi's diary on his own. Biting his lower lip he hesitantly wrapped up the little book that sat beside the ink set in brown paper. He stared at the parcel ponderously, wondering if sending Sachi's diary over seas was her best intention. He sighed. What else could he do? He had no choice. When the ink dried he sealed the letter and wrapped it with the parcel in another layer of paper. Now, maybe now, his heart would let him sleep at night.

--

The arguments and yelling had subsided now. Sachi's heart sank in her chest at every harsh word spoken. She really didn't mean to be a burden to Sakura's already struggling family, but she had no choice. They brought her home when she was unconscious, and now she couldn't leave without their kind help. Sakura's father and three older brothers had come in from the fields late that night. Her father was enraged to learn of the new mouth to feed and body to provide shelter for. In the outside room Sachi could hear him yelling at Sakura, and at the same time hear the girl's crying pleas to let Sachi stay. For all the world Sachi wished she could stand up and walk right out the door and end their need to find a solution to the problem. Just now the father's voice had grown louder and Sakura's cries more fervent before Sachi could hear Sakura running away sobbing in defeat. Sachi held her breathe as heavy footsteps trod the hallway to her room.

A bulky form stood silhouetted through the paper-thin wall. He was tall and burly man, obviously muscular from working the fields. He paused outside her room to catch his breath. Slowing the door inched open. Sachi craned her neck to see what the father of Sakura looked like. His stern face with jutting jaw revealed a mix of grief and tiredness. His dusty brown hair was speckled with dust and grass from the fields, and stood straight on end. A dark blue farmer's kimono with a red sash clung tightly to his massive form. For the first time, the man looked upon the pitiful being his daughter had drug home.

His hardened heart softened a bit as he took in her predicament. She stared back at him, her sky blue eyes seeming to pierce his soul. In those he saw raw curiosity, defiance, and pain all at once. She had the carry of a foreigner, for she was quite large for a member of the female Japanese. She wore the tattered clothing of a man, and beside her lay a katana. (So he thought at the time, but we all know what it **really** is.) On her body, besides her injuries caused from the flooding river he noticed evidence of battle, old and new. The vertical scar down her left cheek tormented his thoughts.

"So..." He finally spoke.

"You must be Sakura's father?" Sachi asked weakly, suddenly noticing that her voice was becoming a tad horse.

"Hai. I am Akio." He nodded.

The girl smiled slightly, even though he could tell she was under much pain. "I am called Sachi, girl child of bliss, for I smile without knowing why." She chuckled.

Akio's face crinkled with a little laughter too. "Surely you must be, to be smiling when most people would be moping. Tell me, Sachi, what happened to get you in such a poor condition?"

There was a slight pause. "I got swept off of a bridge by floodwaters."

"I meant, how did you get those wounds that had to be inflicted by a sword."

Sachi glared at the man. "That's my personal business, why would you like to know?" She pointed out.

"Because I would want to know if I am housing a convict or killer, or just someone who got caught in the wrong place at the wrong time." Akio sank to the floor and sat cross-legged beside Sachi's mat.

Truly she was a girl of bliss, for her face lit up with a smile. "Definitely caught in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Akio smirk wryly and continued chuckling at his new charge. "So...all we can do is make the best of the situation, neh?"

"It'd be very kind of you to allow me to stay until I am able to go on my way." Sachi admitted.

"Well, judging by your leg that could be a long binding agreement, but we shall hope for the best. Now, lay down again and I shall get you shoulder back in place." Sachi did as she was told and Sakura's father laid perpendicular to her. Grasping her arm firmly with his muscular hands he placed a foot in the pit of her arm. "Brace yourself for a world of pain." Sachi did, but it was not enough to keep her from screaming bloody murder as he jerked hard on her arm, stretching it out straight so it would pop back into the joint, which it did with a loud popping noise.

"Gah!" Sachi's face crinkled from the excruciating pain. She was sure her arm was on fire it hurt so much.

"Told ya." Akio commented nonchalantly as the girl continued to writhe in pain. "Now try to get some sleep. We'll sort out things in the morning." He closed the door behind him.

When he had left the room, tears freely filled Sachi's eyes, blurring her vision. She clung to her arm as the pain continued. She almost laughed. "Sure, whatever you say. I always am able to sleep when I've had a joint popped back into place." But after wearing herself out from crying with pain, she did finally find some comfort in the darkness of slumber.

--

A/n: yes peoples, I know what you're thinking. "Short, dumb chapter." I'm really sorry, but it's all my fried brain can come up with now. I'm sorry that it's taken so long to update, but school has been keeping me oober busy right now, and my main priority is concluding my TF story "Jet Blast" but I thought I'd at least better update to alert as to why I haven't been updating for a while. So sorry, all my peoples. Please be patient with me. I'm doing as best as I can with limited time. If you find it in your heart, please review. The more support I receive for a story, the more I feel obligated to update it sooner.

On another note: Yipee! I got RK volume 6 now! I can't wait until I'm able to get/find volume 7 (and soon to be 8)! But, considering that my parents won't let me order them over the internet, and the nearest bookstore that sells them is in a town at least an hour's journey away, that may not be till like...Christmas. But, didja guys know that from now on a new Ruro-Ken volume is going to be released every month until they're all released?! ain't that cool? Course, it's gonna be hard for me to keep up with purchasing the books as they come out, but I'll do my best. So yes, I wrote this chapter right after volume 6, thus the whole Yutaro- how's your arm doing reference, because in volume 6 is when he gets hurt and moves to Germany, so I had that fresh in my mind as I was writing. Okay, I'll stop rambling now. Plz review!!


	5. Chapter Five: Oath

Hullo my peoples! I am so incredibly sorry that it took me this long to update, but lots of things came up. First off, school, second off, violin and piano, and third, whenever I've had a break so far from school I've gotten terribly sick, and then that goes over into school time, so I miss school, the homework piles up, and pretty soon I find myself knee-deep in stuff I have to get done and zero free time. And, I wanted this chapter to be extra long and have lots of action. Thank you all for sticking with this story, and please review.

Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, but I do claim this plot and my characters. Please, only use with permission.

Also, please read short note at end of story that has to deal with something that happens in the story, but I won't talk about here because it'd spoil the chapter for you.

'**Divided Waters'**

**Chapter Five:**

**Oath**

**By KatDrama**

It had been several weeks since that day her arm had been put back in place. They had tightly braced her broken leg so when it healed naturally it wouldn't be completely crooked. With the help of a crude crutch she was able to walk, dragging the injured leg behind her. Every day she improved in health and strength as she went out to the riverbank and practiced swinging her sword. Every now and then she would glance up the path out of the village, hoping against wistful hope that someday she would see a familiar red headed man, or even better, a certain spiky haired kid coming to her rescue. Today the sky was overcast. Dark clouds blotted out the sun and the wind stirred the rustling grasses of the fields. With a heavy sigh, Sachi turned away from the path and tied the sakabato to her waist. She then started on an exercise of a new kind by...

"Sachi, why are lifting rocks above your head?" Sakura blurted as she came walking up the path with their meager lunch containing one rice ball for each of them.

"It's to build strength in my arm so it won't ever become dislocated again." Sachi smiled as she threw the rocks she had been repeatedly lifting to the ground. She accepted the rice ball from Sakura and slowly munched on it, letting the sticky rice slowly get mashed around in her mouth, savoring every last ounce of juicy flavor before swallowing it and taking her next bite.

"Summer's almost over." Sakura looked sadly up at the dark sky. "It's going to storm soon."

"Yes. It's too bad too. I was really enjoying the nice weather here." Sachi leaned on her crutch heavily and relaxed her other leg.

"Oh, normally it's very nice all the time. Sure, it gets a little chilly in the winter but..."

"Sakura! Sakura!" Little Toshi was running up the path from the village. Almost out of breath her ran into his sister and tugged at her sleeve.

"What is it Toshi?" She patted his spiky brown hair with her free hand.

"It them! They're back!" He exclaimed, his young brown eyes wide with terror.

"Who's back? The samurai?" Sakura's voice quavered.

"Uh-huh." Toshi nodded his little head, the little spikes of brown hair bounced in the wind that was gradually picking up.

"Sachi, will you be able to..."

Sachi cut the worried girl short as she drew out her sakabato with her right hand and supported her crutch with the left arm. Looking down the back of the blade she stared at the grass. "I'm ready as I'll ever be." Her long, golden bangs covered her downcast eyes and she spoke in a tone as cold as the steel of the blade. It sent a shiver up Sakura's spine.

Shaking the startling feeling off, the girl began running toward the village. "Then let's go!"

"Right behind ya." Sachi smirked as she stumped forward, dragging her injured leg behind her.

Grabbing a farmer's hoe that was leaning against a house for a weapon, Sakura hid around the corner of a house. Sachi and Toshi joined her. Together they peeked around the edge of the building at the mangy band of samurai. They were picking on the very pregnant housewife of a poor farmer.

"What's that you say? You have nothing left for us to steal?" One smirked sardonically as he slapped her hard, making her fall back unto the dusty ground. Some little children gathered around her.

"Back off ya big bully!" A little child pointed. "Ya!" The others backed him up. "Leave her alone!"

"Oh, and who are you to resist against me? What are you gonna do? Bite me with your little dull teeth?" The renegade bent low and sneered at them. Behind him, a group of about twenty rough men laughed evilly. Their leader raised his hand to smack the child when a loud voice yelled from out of nowhere.

"Don't you touch him!" Sakura shouted, smacking the man's large hand away with the backside of her hoe.

"Why if it isn't the little 'warrior girl'." The man's smirk grew even wickeder as he rubbed his reddening hand. "And who's this with you, some lady with a crutch? Boy, you sure know how to raise up an army, don't you?" He mocked.

"Oh yeah? Well...well...you'll never be half the warrior Sachi is!" Sakura retorted.

"Uh...Sakura...um..." Sachi gulped. "I hate to put a fork in your speech, but um...don't you think you're making things a tad worse by saying that?" Sachi nervously whispered in the girl's ear.

"Shut up, Sachi. Listen, I know they look tough, but you can beat 'em easy!" Sakura whispered back.

"Heh...heh...if you say so." Sachi's face grew paler by the second.

"Oh, so your injured friend is a warrior, is she? We'll be the judge of that, won't we boys?" The leader scratched his stubbly face.

"Yeah, we'll show 'em what a real warrior is!" His men backed him up.

"All right boys, teach 'em a lesson!" As the leader shouted his men drew their swords and rushed forward.

"I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die!" Sachi's mind screamed as the bloodthirsty renegades came ever nearer.

"Sachi, don't just stand there! Fight!" Sakura shouted above the melee. Moving with the quickness and the agility of a child, Sakura dodged back and forth between the men so that some of their attacks hit their fellow renegades instead of her. Every now and then she would strike out with the blunt side of the hoe, because somehow she couldn't bring herself to want to gore someone with the sharp, pointed side.

"Well, I guess it's now or never." Sachi sighed as the men finally surrounded her. In a flash she quickly dug the end of her crutch deep within the soil, and in one swift motion, swung up and around it, kicking men in the face with her good leg in an arc around her. When her foot finally touched the ground she gave them no time to gang up on her, for now she flicked her crutch out and swung low around her to sweep out the feet of the second wave of men. Thus, by repeatedly using her crutch she kept an open circle about her.

Finding herself swamped in a mass of bodies with no easy way out, Sakura suddenly remembered that they weren't all alone. They should call for the backup! "Toshi, sound the gong!" She shouted.

"Oh, yeah." The little child began running around the fight to their house.

"Oh no you don't you little brat!" A wiry man with odd hair stepped out of the fight. "You ain't gonna scare us off again!" Toshi screamed with fright and covered his face with his arms as the sword came crashing towards him.

"NO! TOSHI!" A girl's scream split the air.

--

The thunder overhead began to boom more steadily. Sachi bent and tied a makeshift bandage around a gash on her leg, which was, fortunately, the only injury she had acquired. Standing up she sadly turned to look in Sakura's direction. The little berserker had succeeded in scaring away all the samurai. Sachi shuddered at the decapitated body that lay in the village center. Once her wrath had been unleashed, Sakura had not held back, and swung with the sharp blade of the hoe, severing the head of one of the samurai. But the cost for this victory was too great.

Sakura kneeled on the bloody ground and pulled her little brother into her lap. His crimson blood stained her arms as she hugged him close to her body. There was a large gash where the sword had been run clean through his small body.

"Sakura, did I do bad?" The little boy hoarsely whispered.

"No, no, Toshi...you did very good." Tears fell shamelessly from his sister's eyes as she gently caressed his face with her blood stained hands, smearing a trail of red across his cheek.

"It hurts." He shuddered as a trickle of blood poured from the corner of his mouth.

"Shhh....shhh...be very quiet. It won't hurt for long." She gently rocked him back and forth.

"Sakura, I'm scared..." His pale eyes searched for her face.

"I'm right here. There's no need to be scared." She reached out and wrapped his tiny hand in hers. The tears continued to flow.

"But...what's going to happen to me?" He began to cry.

"You're going to go to a fabulous place, Toshi." ::see author's note at end of chapter::

"What will it be like?" His pain increased.

"There will be fields of flowers just for the picking, and a mountain stream that is filled with many fish. There the cherry blossoms are always blooming, and their sweet scent perfumes the air. There will be no pain or hurt. And Mother will be there." Sakura softly whispered.

"Mother?" The boy exclaimed.

"Yes, Toshi. Mommy is waiting for you. Don't be scared. Go to her, her hand is outstretched to you. Take her hand, Toshi." Sakura's body began to quake with sobs that she desperately tried to oppress for the sake of her little brother.

"I...I see her!" His little eyes began to cloud over.

"Yes Toshi, go to her." Sakura laid her head on his little chest as it stopped moving, her tears spilling out unto his deceased body as tiny raindrops began to fall.

Sachi stood motionless, overlooking her friend with mixed emotions.

"This has gone too far!" An old craggy voice made the girl nearly jump out of her skin.

"Mrs. Tenuki! You scared me!" Sachi clasped a hand to her beating heart.

"Up till now there were just harmless disputes with few injuries, but this loss of life cannot continue!" The old woman's face was hardened into a frown. "I thought that maybe we could handle the situation, but it is obvious it has gotten way out of hand. I have no choice but to write to the Central Defense Office in Tokyo." She gravely nodded.

Sachi's heart skipped a beat at the word of her past home.

"Terrible, just terrible!" Mrs. Tenuki muttered, wandering off to her house.

Without saying a word, Sachi limped over to Sakura's side. Sakura lifted her head in surprise as a pale hand reached over and pressed itself against Toshi's chest wound. She picked up her hand and stared blankly at the blood that dripped off her fingers and mixed with the rain. Sakura gasped as Sachi reached up and wiped the bloody hand through her bright bangs, staining their ends red. Then, she placed her other hand over the wound and rubbed the blood through her long ponytail.

"What'd you do that for?" Sakura blurted. "You'll ruin your hair! If that dries it might not come out!"

Sachi looked into the younger girl's eyes. Her own eyes had turned an icy shade of blue, and looked grimly dangerous. "This is an oath I make here and now. I shall stay here and see this fight through. I will avenge your brother's death and restore peace to this village. On this I swear even more so than I have ever sworn to protect you before."

"But, Sachi, I already killed the man who did this!"

"One man's blood is not enough to repay the blood of this child. Every mangy samurai of that band shall pay with their lives." Her words gripped Sakura's heart with fear.

"But I never asked you to murder them!" Sakura protested. The rain began to fall down harder now. A flash of lightning illuminated the sky. "Please, Sachi, don't do this! Don't become a murder!"

Another flash of lightning revealed the cold steel of Sachi's eyes, and the blood from her bangs that dripped down her face. It was such a cold-hearted stare that maybe only the glare of the Hitokiri Battosai might rival it.

--

A few days later, after Toshi's sad funeral, there is a little grave built for him on the edge of the riverbank. After paying their respects, the villagers stand by the edge of the road as a wagon pulled by a single old mare is loaded up for the long trip to Tokyo. Along with Mrs. Tanuki's letter to the government, there are also many lists of much needed supplies from the big city: seed for crops, new equipment, toys for the children, ect. Several men and woman gather in the wagon, for it is a rare thing that a wagon goes to Tokyo. Sakura's father looks down from the wagon. He is going to deliver Mrs. Tanuki's letter along his personal plea and list of grievances. He speaks to his 'adopted daughter'.

"Are you sure you do not want to come? This is probably your only chance to return to your home." He holds out a hand for her to climb in.

Sachi bows politely and refuses his hand. "There will be other chances. But I have vowed to stay here and see this through."

"I understand." Akio gravely nods. With a crack of the reigns the wagon lurches forward, and the non-traveling villagers return to their daily life. Only two girls stand in the path, watching the little wagon travel out of sight.

Sakura sighed. "Are you completely sure about this?"

Sachi nodded, her red stained bangs waving in the breeze. She stairs ahead with her hardened eyes at the horizon.

--

::author's note:: I do not know much about Japanese religion, and so this part was entirely made up. This is not my personal view of what happens when someone dies, but I felt it was necessary for the story. Anyways, please do not criticize me about religion. We all have our personal beliefs, and I mean not to offend anyone.::

Okay, so now do you guys get a little better grip of the plot? Please review! I'll try to update sometime around when I get my Thanksgiving break...but if not then, for sure Christmas break..


	6. Chapter Six: Never Forget

Hi everybody, sorry it's taken so long. Turns out I didn't update when I'd thought, and my Christmas break has been pretty busy, but who knows, there's still some time, I may update later. This chapter is sort of a filler because I don't have much time. I'm sorry! But please read it anyways. And yes, the first part is a dream sequence. Tee hee, I hope you enjoy! I just decided that we've been centered so much around Sachi that we'd better revisit the Kenshin-gumi and see what's up in Tokyo. More actual story next chapter (I hope) and that chapter will occur in Tokyo as well. Well, I hafta go, please remember to review.

'**Divided Waters'**

**Chapter Six:**

**Never Forget**

**By KatDrama**

It was a pale moonlit night. The stars twinkled in the blue light of the moon, as a lone wanderer walked across the fields of waving grass to a rickety bridge that gapped a sparkling river. She was waiting for him there; her long blonde hair flowing down her back gently waved in the slight breeze. She turned to face him, a mix of pleasure and surprise in her eyes. With a large smile and twinkling eyes she ran towards him and embraced the wanderer. He too sighed in content and breathed deeply of her lovely perfume. "Sachi…" He breathed into her ear as he gently caressed her back with his tender hands.

"Mmm…yes, Kenshin?" She leaned into his embrace, closing her eyes with content. For a while they stayed conjoined, rocking each other in a slow dance to the music of the gentle water with the bright stars and fireflies as their only witnesses.

"The…the…there's something I've been wanting to tell you." He blushed sheepishly.

"Really?" She stared dreamily into his violet eyes. "What?"

"It's just, that well…I…I…I…" The wanderer began to stutter.

"Speak up." She giggled and pressed her soft, sweet and moist lips against his in a sloppy, yet heart filled kiss. Kenshin stared back at her with surprise. "I get what you're saying, and I feel that way too, but it'll never work out between us."

"But why?" He reached out for her as she started to stray from him.

"Because…" Icy cold water began to rush over the bridge, lapping at their ankles.

"Sachi!" He screamed, reaching out to her hand, but their fingers did not meet, and she was washed over the edge. He ran down the bank as the sky began to darken and the wind pick up its pace. "Sachi!" He called again.

"Goodbye, Kenshin." She breathed slowly, as she blew him one last kiss before being swept out of sight. The wanderer stopped and kneeled on the edge of bank in shock. Tears began to flow from his eyes…

Kenshin gasped and looked around the empty room. Perspiration ran down his face and dripped off of his chin. He walked to the door of his room; opening it he stepped out unto the porch and gazed up at the blue moon. With a moan he flopped down unto the veranda and clutched his knees close his chest and hung his head between them. He ran a shaky hand through his red bangs. That was the fifth night this week he had had that dream! There had been many versions of nearly the same dream appearing to him ever since she had disappeared, but they all carried the same message: Sachi was gone, and there was no way for him to reach her. He knew that already! So then, why did the dreams still appear? Why must he still suffer?

"Kenshin?" A quiet female voice spoke from a slender female form wrapped in a delicate robe. "Is everything alright?" She came beside him, draping a light blanket around his shoulders.

"I'm fine, that I am. You should go back to bed, Ms. Kaoru." He smiled a reassuring smile, but it was one that she had learned to see clean through. She gave him a stern look. "Nothing gets by you, does it, Ms. Kaoru," he sighed. "It was just a dream, that it was. Nothing to worry about."

Kaoru gently sat beside him and absent-mindedly began rubbing his hand with hers. "It was about her, wasn't it?" Kenshin jumped a little at the contact, but then settled down and leaned against the support beam with a sigh.

"Yes. I just don't know what it all means." He sighed some more.

"Maybe it means that you should let her go. Accept the fact that she's never coming back!" A fire lit up in Kaoru's eyes. Suddenly Kenshin stood up, releasing Kaoru's grip on his hand and letting the blanket fall to the ground. He looked down at Kaoru very sternly.

"Ms. Kaoru, if Yahiko has faith in her, then so can I. I will never give up on her. She will come back, of that I am sure." He walked back into his room.

"But!" Kaoru protested.

"Good night!" He said in a surprisingly harsh tone as he slammed the door shut.

"Well I never!" Kaoru stormed as she to returned to her room.

"Is there something going on?" Yahiko wiped his sleepy eyes and walked unto the veranda.

Kaoru nearly screeched as she pushed past him.

"What?" The boy looked back at her. "Sheesh, women." He grumbled and went back to bed.


	7. Chapter 7

Author's notes: Hello everyone, I'm sorry that it's been so long since I've updated but sadly events in my life have kept me to busy to write, but now that it is summer vacation I hope to be able to update my fanfics more frequently. In fact, I hope to finish this story by September. But thank you for your patience. Whenever I get reviews it gilts me into feeling more obligated to update. So, if you want an update sooner…you know where to find the button.

'**Divided Waters'**

**Chapter Seven:**

**Preparations**

**By Rebekah 'KatDrama' W.**

"Eh, Kaoru, that is too heavy for you. Here, let me take some…" Kenshin reached to grab a few sticks of woods from Kaoru's large load that she struggled with in her arms.

"I'm fine Kenshin!" She snapped, kicking him back with a sudden movement of her foot.

"Oro?" Kenshin's sharp reflexes caught him from falling. "You don't think she's still mad at me, do you?" Kenshin questioned of a nearby Yahiko who was busy attacking the veranda with his scrubbing cloth.

The boy stopped and caught his breath, wiping his brow with a sudsy hand. "About what? Last night? Most likely." He snickered.

Kenshin rolled his eyes at the juvenile. "It's not funny. I…"

"WOAH!" Karou yelped as she lost control of the wood and fell to the ground and was quickly covered in the painful revenge of the firewood.

"Ms. Kaoru, are you alright?" Kenshin sprang forward, a worried look on his face.

A human head appeared from beneath the pile. "Neva…betta…" Her dazed eyes rolled in circles as the rurouni began to dig to find her body.

"Hey, missy, whatcha doing? Looking for a needle in the wood stack?" A rooster head appeared around the gate. "Ya know, that's not the safest place to play." He laughed jokingly.

"Hey, Sano, wanna help out with the chores?" Yahiko yelled, though he already knew the slacker's response.

"Nah." The muscular man shrugged. "I know I came here for a reason, but seeing ol' raccoon face playing with the wood made me forget…" He scratched his chin thoughtfully.

"How's the wife?" Kenshin asked more out of politeness than curiosity as he finally helped Karou from the woodpile. Not to his surprise she made a grumping face at him and hurried away from the scene. The red head sighed; it was going to be a long day.

"What? Oh, you know Megumi, nothing but work, work, work. Even when she has a day off and it's a perfect day to go into town…" The spiky haired one's sentence trailed off. "Oh yeah! Kenshin!" With a sudden urgency the man grabbed Kenshin roughly by the shoulders, nearly picking him up off the ground. "There's a ruckus going on in town by the police station! That's what I was going to tell you!"

"What's going on?" The Battosai within Kenshin's sweet demeanor was sparked with interest.

"I dunno the full details, but there's a bunch of villagers from down river requesting troops to protect their village," Sano recalled.

"Why?" Kenshin brushed the dust off his shoulder as the larger man set him back down on the ground.

"I don't know, but I think there might be trouble brewing. We should go see!" Sano yelled, already sprinting towards the gate, to which Kenshin nodded his head.

"Count me in!" Yahiko launched himself off of the veranda, tossing his towel behind him. He landed running between the older men. "Hey, what about Kaoru?" He asked Kenshin.

There was certain darkness in Kenshin's eyes as his voice, icy with steel, replied. "Kaoru needs some 'alone' time." With that the three sped into town.

"Your request for backup is denied. We have no reports or proof of this renegade band of samurai, and even if we did it would take some time to process your request for it would have to have Yamagata-san's approval." The police chief told the group of farmers that had presented their village's request.

"Excuse me, pardon me." Kenshin and the others pushed through the gathering crowd to get to the scene.

"Proof? You want proof?" A middle-aged man stepped forward angrily. "They killed my youngest son! And then my daughter killed one of them! The battle grows ever more bloody! Even as we speak the young and old ones that stay home from the fields are in grave danger! They may decide to seek deadly revenge! All that stands between the deaths of our villagers right now is a bunch of children, my only daughter being one of them! Our only weapons are our tools and one lone sakabato," Kenshin's eyes brightened with surprise, "and you ask us for proof that we are under danger with no way to protect ourselves other than to seek military help!" Akio nearly yelled at the officer.

The police chief's curiosity was also aroused. "You say you have but one weapon to defend you? And who to wield it?"

Akio lowered his voice, his anger transferring to his quivering fists. "A lone girl with a mending leg. It is a miracle that we have survived this long."

Sano burst through the crowd into the circle of farmers, pushing Kenshin ahead of him. "A girl you say? Is she about this tall with long blonde hair and a scar across her left eye?" He gestured with a hand.

"Sano…" Kenshin mumbled under his breath, dragging his feet on the ground in protest. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Hey, it's a faint chance it could be Sachi, couldn't it?" He slapped Kenshin encouragingly on the back, though rather roughly causing the rurouni to loose his balance.

Akio turned, shock showing in his eyes. "Yes, that's her. You know her? Are you…perhaps those she left behind in Tokyo?" His heart saddened.

"Yeah, that's us! She's alive? I can't believe it! This is great!" Yahiko danced around Sano, who, getting annoyed, punched him in the head, causing him to go night-night for a little while. Kenshin's heart welled with joy.

"So, she's okay?" Sano asked as he picked up Yahiko and stuffed him under his arm like he was carrying a loaf of bread.

"Her body is healing, but her mind grows ever darker. She has pledged revenge for my son's death, and I fear she has chosen the path of the Hitokiri, which is why we must get someone to stop those samurai soon, before we loose the mind of that child, and the lives of others." Akio turned a pleading look back to the police chief.

Kenshin's thoughts boiled with anger. 'How can she be so foolish!' His mind screamed. He placed an arm in front of the farmer to stop his pleading. "Ask no more, you have gained your warriors. We will go and protect your village." He tried to keep the angry edge off of his voice, but it still dripped with danger. Akio shivered slightly at the smaller man's icy glare.

"Alright! Hear that Yahiko?" Sano shook the little bundle he held. Drool bubbled out of the boy's mouth. "Hmm…poor kid must've fainted with excitement." Sano smiled guiltily as he stuffed the boy back under his arm.

Later that evening at the dojo:

The sun faded over the crested mountaintops in the vague distance. Shadows danced upon the ground beneath the ever-growing purple sky. A grim silence gripped the air, filling it with an uneasy tenseness that could not even be severed with the sharpest of blades. The fading light accented the dojo roof, showing some tiles in major need of repair. In the courtyard a little pile of belongings to be taken on the trip were gathering. A short little redhead stepped unto the porch carrying the evening meal. He sighed heavily, noticing the girl sitting on the veranda, her back to him. Gracefully he sat down beside her. "Are you sure you do not want to come?" His soft voice was warm upon her neck.

She turned suddenly, anger flashing in her umber eyes. Her mouth opened to stutter some angry mutterings, but in disgust she turned she looked away and balled her fists into tight, trembling balls. "No."

Kenshin sighed, his eyes searching the new coming night sky for answers that his mind could not seem to find. "I see." His heart sank, more than disappointed as he stood again. "Are you sure you'll be fine here by yourself?" His violet eyes betrayed his worry.

"I told you, Megumi's coming over to stay for a while, and I'll be busy with my students." She pulled her slender legs up to her chest and rested her head sadly on her arms. How could she reveal the confused feelings that clashed inside her?

"We should only be gone a few days. We'll be taking a boat down the river, it will be much faster that way." She stared at him. His body was silhouetted by the fading sunlight, and her heart trembled.

She sighed. "I'll be waiting…"

Kenshin turned back to face her, an all too fake smile lightening up his face. "And be sure to make room for one more!" He grinned optimistic of Sachi's return.

A slight smirk lit her face. At least everyone seemed to be happy about the news of Sachi, except for her. But what could she do? Perhaps it was fate for Sachi to steal Kenshin away from her. But, if that was true, then could this be the last time that Kenshin could ever be hers? Her brown eyes widened. "Kenshin?"

"Yes Miss Karou?" The rurouni smiled. Slowly the ivory skinned girl stood and then rushed awkwardly up to him. A shameful blush radiating her face she tightly wrapped her arms around him. His eyes lit with pleasant surprise.

"Kenshin…" Tears began to well up in her eyes and spill down her cheeks, staining his chest. Slowly she looked him straight in the eyes. Her lips quivered slightly. "I…I…I love you!" She clutched him tight again. "And…I don't want this to be the last time I ever see you! Please come back safe!" She stuttered.

Kenshin smiled comfortingly, and rubbed a soothing hand on her back slowly. "Have I ever failed to keep a promise to you? I promise I'll bring us all back safe." His eyes closed halfway, reveling in the rare warm moment.

Yahiko stepped around the side of the dojo, carrying a pile of traveling blankets. Catching site of the two he stuck out his tongue in disgust. "Get a room, why don't you!" He turned and began to walk away.

A vein on Karou's forehead stuck out. In anger she grabbed the pan from Kenshin's hand and threw it at the boy, it hitting him square on the head. Kenshin only chuckled, glad that she was back to normal.


	8. Chapter Eight: Travels

It has been quite some time since I wrote fanfic. I don't know what it is calling me back. I apologize if I'm out of practice, but I want to try to finish this story. It was a review that encouraged me to come back; it is reviews that will encourage me to finish what I have started. Please support me in this aspect if you want me to continue writing.

-the wandering KatDrama

**Chapter Eight**

**Travels**

**By KatDrama**

Silent gray clouds shifted overhead. Yahiko's eyes focused on the small pebble he had been kicking in front of him for the past hour. He felt like a loaded spring ready to unleash the feelings that had been bottled up inside of him for so long, but those long anticipated feelings of joy at hearing of Sachi's survival now tussled against so many new emotions that he could not identify. Foremost in his mind was a sense of betrayal. All this time Sachi had been alive, and yet she had not told them? Why? Did she forget about them that easily? Or was there some reason that she wanted to stay away from them? Concentrating at the pebble at his mercy he wound up his foot and kicked it sharply with all the frustration that was inside him. Would it be joy or anger he would feel when he met up with Sachi again? Only that one moment in time, the one moment he'd been anticipating for so long could tell.

The round pebble soared through the air, smacking a tall lanky man hard in the back of the neck. With quick reflexes his hand went up as if to swat at an annoying fly. Rubbing the back of his neck the bird-headed Sano turned around and glared at the kid. "You little punk!" He growled, his hand taking the all too familiar form of a rock hard fist. "I oughta…" He sighed and let his threat trail off when the kid continued walking by him, his brown eyes clouded over as they studied the trail before him. With a huff of annoyance he stretched his arms and rested them behind his head, matching pace with the spiky haired swordsman. "Anxious, huh?" He spoke in a more serious and subdued voice.

For a few moments Yahiko did not answer, continuing on his trance like march behind the farmer's wagon. There was a long pause before the answer came in the form of a long sigh. "Yeah…"

"There are many questions that plague us all, that they do. Not knowing whether the answers will be favorable is what disturbs you, does it not?" The swordless rurouni finally spoke, his purple eyes, having been as hard as stone since the beginning of their journey the day before now softened a bit with compassion for young Yahiko's frustrations.

"Exactly!" Yahiko finally awakened and stretched his arms wide as though asking the sky to answer all his questions. "Why would Sachi choose not to return to us? Or at least send word! All this time we thought she was…" He winced and closed his mouth. Choosing to say no more he stewed over his anger.

Finally the farmer sighed and faced the trio that tagged along behind the wagon. His weary face understood their frustrations; it was not his place, but Sachi's to answer their unbelief. "Boy…" He looked at Yahiko. "I advise you…listen with an open ear to the girl and my daughter before unleashing your anger. Though it may be justified, it is out of place." Kenshin nodded at Akio's wisdom.

Yahiko, though visibly looking remorseful, held unto his anger deep inside. Crossing his arms he could not bring his eyes to face the farmer. "So how much longer?" He asked impatiently, his feet kicking up small clouds of dust before him.

Akio looked up the road and the conditions in the sky. "I'd say about a day and a half more."

"Great." Yahiko sulked even more, his youthful chin jutting downwards with a childish pout. Kenshin could not help but restrain a laugh at his outlandish behavior, but he quickly grew silent under the boy's icy glare, though a knowing smile remained on his face.

_Almost two more days Sachi…_Kenshin's violet eyes traveled up to the dwindling sun in the horizon, its golden rays slanting across their path, distorting their shadows into unbelievable shapes. The rurouni's steps quickened just a bit, his sakabato's empty sheath flapping against his side as his stride lengthened. A look of determination overtook his small body, transforming him into a man eager to meet a long lost friend. His heart nearly cried with joy. _Only two more days, Sachi! Hold on until then! _The mismatched caravan of farmers and warriors disappeared into the bleeding sunset.


	9. Chapter Nine: Bloodstained Stranger

Author's note: I've wanted to write this chapter for long, the chapter in which Sachi and the Kenshin-gumi are reunited, but will this bring about happiness or sorrow? I hope you can get the far off feeling of this chapter, the numb feelings of a bloodstained stranger, a stranger to not only those around her, but to herself as well. More chapters to follow this one.

-The wandering KatDrama

-Riding off into the painted sunset

'_**Divided Waters'**_

_**Chapter Nine:**_

_**Bloodstained Stranger**_

_**By KatDrama**_

The evening meal was noticeably silent. Akio's sons cast inquisitive looks at the stranger they had come to know as an adoptive sister. The girl whose name meant "girl child of bliss," who had been so full of positive energy despite her circumstance now had a determined manner about her that sent shivers of intimidation even down Sakura's back. True, Toshi's death had cut deeply into them all, and Sakura regretted the life she had taken. But this foreign girl with blood stained hair, her eyes the color of icy steel, with her vow of bloodstained vengeance unsettled them all. Silently gulping down another mouthful of rice Sakura cast a worried sidelong glance at the girl she thought she had known, but was now once more a stranger to her.

In the diminishing light of the day thick clouds began to brew overhead, signaling another storm. As the first heavy drops of rain broke upon the ground the family slowly disengaged from the meal and eventually accepting the black storm that imprisoned them within the quarters of the shack relinquished themselves to sleep. All that remained in the main family room was Sakura mending one of her brother's garment and the stranger within their midst.

Sachi sat against the wall, the sakabato in its makeshift case resting on her shoulder. Her dull eyes stared as though hypnotized into Sakura's lamp as the rain pounded away the night. "I'm going to bed now." Suddenly called out of her dazed state Sachi gasped with surprise at Sakura's announcement. Her hand unconsciously tightened its grip on the sakabato. Easing her body back into a relaxed state she spoke in a low and hauntingly cold voice.

"Alright." The room became dark as Sakura left the room with her lamp. A flash of lighting threw shadows across the room, its shadow of thunder soon followed. For the first time since Toshi's death Sachi's thoughts briefly wandered back up the madly swirling river to Tokyo. She vaguely remembered a night similar to the one at hand. Then the thunder had recalled her nightmarish past. She could still feel Kenshin's strong arms comforting her. A small sigh escaped her lips. Though the past no longer haunted her it was now more than ever that she needed the battosai's counsel. But there was no rurouni for her. Unsheathing the sakabato she stared into its blade. This was a task she had to do herself now. A bolt of lightning illuminated the room again, casting shadows across the near woman's face, revealing a stone cold expression.

There was no light of dawn, only gray skies greeted the village as they drew themselves out of slumber and dredged out into the fields. Sachi stood near the edge of the village, her arms folded inside of the large sleeves of Akio's worn blue jacket to keep warm. Her bloodstained hair blew madly in the wind, forcing her to tie it back in a messy ponytail. The sakabato nestled in its haphazard bamboo sheath felt like a heavy burden compared to the light staff she held in her hand to help her walk whenever she felt pain in her leg. Today her leg was throbbing like crazy from the low air pressure. Sachi's ice blue eyes scanned the horizon as though expecting something. There was energy in the air that she could somehow sense. The air was full of bad things to come.

Her persistence paid off. After several hours serving as a statue like sentry to the village she spotted something in the distance. Slowly the dark blot on the pathway turned into one man, then another, then another, until in all there were nearly forty distinct bodies in the force that moved towards the village, and all armed to the tooth and nail. Sachi's body went rigid at first, but soon began to tremble with excitement, a cruel, sardonic smile twisting her face. The renegade samurai had finally come, in full force, for revenge.

"Sakura…" a girl slightly younger than Sakura tugged on her kimono sleeve.

"Yes?" The elder girl looked down and saw the terrified expression on her face.

"They're here." Radishes and other vegetables tumbled to the ground and were abandoned in the mud. The bare feet of the farmer girl could be heard splashing through puddles left by the rain in her hurried frenzy to reach the scene. She stopped and gasped to catch her breath. She was unsure whether to regard the scene as a majestic symbol of power or gaze awesome fear at the terrifying force now facing her village. She stood petrified. Before her was the tense, broad back of the stranger she once knew. A gleaming sword was drawn in her hand. Her very stance spoke of hidden power. Her hands trembling slightly Sakura clasped them in front of her chest as her eyes slowly traveled to the band of mangy samurai, some in armor but all with swords. All that stood between her village and sheer destruction was the lone girl with a reverse blade sword. Time seemed to stand still as the first rain of morning slowly broke overhead.

"The air seems tense." Kenshin observed as he turned his head once more to the sky. Traveling had been slow the final day because of the mud left from the heavy ran the night before.

"We'll probably see some more rain soon." Akio stated. He chuckled slightly and slapped the reigns across the oxen's back, urging them to go faster. "But the village is just beyond this final hill."

Yahiko craned his neck to try to see over the hill. After all his pent up anticipation the moment he'd been waiting for nearly four months for was at hand. Jumping off the oxen cart he jumped to the ground. His feet nearly sliding out from under him as he set off to running towards the village. "C'mon guys!" He shouted over his shoulder at Kenshin and Sano as the first drops of rain fell upon them. "That means Sachi's just over this hill!" Catching unto his excitement Kenshin and Sano sprinted after him as lightning crackled overhead.

Rain dripped down the blade as Sachi slowly shifted her grip on the sakabato. Suddenly a bolt of lightning broke the sky overhead, and the standoff disintegrated. Shouting a warrior's call Sachi jumped right into the overwhelming force that seethed foreword. Sakura all but lost sight of her warrior. As though in slow motion she saw samurai fall to the mud. Through breaks in the mob she saw the twirl of a bloodstained ponytail, a flash of a reversed blade, or the determined face of the girl child of revenge. Sakura was too stunned to move as some of the samurai skipped Sachi's confrontation all together and rushed into the village. It was though in a dream that she saw the blunt end of the sword crash into her head and send her collapsing to the ground with a swirl of pain. She felt the mud mix with the blood on her face, the rain slowly dappling her kimono with wet spots. She saw feet rushing by, she heard screams of terror, screams of victory, the clash of blades, but her mind could not comprehend. Then suddenly in focus there was a figure she had thought was a stranger with a scar across the right half of her face. Through the rain, the mud and confusion she saw the reverse blade plunged through a man's stomach. She saw the icy glare of unsettling victory on Sachi's face as she withdrew her blade and made for her next victim. Then another voice, unfamiliar reached her ear.

"Sachi!" A young man with spiky brown, almost black hair lunged into the fray, his bamboo sword cracking across a man's head. Then there were others. A tall, muscular man with the symbol of evil on his back was punching out the renegades, and a small red headed man with a disapproving glare upon his face as he dodged blades and hit a man with his sword's sheathe. And suddenly Sakura understood that true warriors were protecting her village.

"Sakura!" Akio slid to his daughter's side, alarmed by the blood on her face.

"Father…" She weakly replied in a daze. A grim smile passed over her face, one that shook Akio with worry and fear. "Sachi's fulfilling her promise. She's killing them, she's going to kill them all." She laughed slightly.

Akio grabbed his daughter by the shoulders and pulled her upright, oblivious to all the fighting and chaos going on around him. "Don't' say that! One death leads to another! She must not kill them!" He nearly shouted into her face.

Sakura's head rolled back and she let loose a loud, maniacal laugh which caused her father's face to turn white. "But she has." She continued to laugh as Akio, upset, laid her back down. He stood up to survey the fight around them. It appeared that the warriors he had brought from Tokyo were doing their job to disable the fighters, but true to his daughter's word, several lifeless corpses dotted the ground beneath Sachi's feet, and blood ran down the sakabato's blade. Akio's fists trembled with rage as he picked up a nearby shovel and joined in the fight.

The majority of the gang, badly beaten by Kenshin and the others made a hasty retreat, leaving behind those who were dead or could not flee by themselves. The rain evened out into a gray drizzle. A breathless figure, her clothes torn and stained with blood, her wet hair clinging to her face stood over her eighth victim and slowly removed her sword from his body. Numb, though not sure why, she stood, her head downcast, the rain clinging to her body. She did not look up, but felt the red hair man, the true owner of the once peaceful sword step towards her. She felt the gazes of all others set upon her, their eyes full of fear or anger. Without resistance she felt the sword jerked from her cold fingers and felt the hot sting of the slap dealt to her face. She could not bring herself to meet his eyes but she guessed that they were full of anger, full of resentment, and the disappointment of broken trust. The thoughts racing through Kenshin's mind might've been greater than any words he could speak at the moment, but his actions spoke all as he let the tainted sakabato drop into the mud, the blood from its blade mixing with the murky soil. He turned his back on her and slowly walked away.

As though the blade had been the only thing giving her energy Sachi collapsed to her knees, her numb eyes, dull like the gray sky, stared blankly at the sword before her. Overhead a roll of thunder rumbled, reflecting the sky's anger as the rain continued to pour unto the bloodstained stranger in the midst of the abandoned battlefield.


	10. Chapter Ten: Tears of Rage

Author's note: A regretfully short chapter, but a chapter filled with emotion and ideals none the less. I respect Yahiko-kun a great deal, and I think he deserves much more credit as an idealistic swordsman than most people give him. Beneath the shell of a child is a mature young man who knows the difference between right and wrong and is not afraid to stand up for what he knows to be true. And yet at the same time he still is a kid in many ways. I hope you find this delicate chapter satisfactory. More chapters to come.

-Until our paths traverse again

-The wandering KatDrama

-Riding off into the painted sunset

'_**Divided Waters'**_

_**Chapter Ten:**_

_**Tears of Rage**_

_**By KatDrama**_

The rain slowly cascading unto the roof was the only measurement of time inside of Akio's humble hut. As Kenshin wordlessly applied his medical knowledge to Akio's daughter's head Yahiko stood in the doorway, his young mind unable to comprehend the entire moral implications of the scene. His brown eyes focused on the figure that sat still in the mud, her lifeless eyes staring at the blade drowning in the mud before her. Beside the doorway, under a simple awning Sano sat on a mat and followed his young companion's gaze. "What must be going through their minds right now…" Sano finally broke the silence in a reverent tone.

Yahiko's young fist trembled with strong, troubled feelings as he sighed with frustration and strode out into the rain. Sano opened his mouth with protest, then decided it better for them to work things out and went inside Akio's house.

"Have you come to punish me as well?" She spoke in a low, mocking tone, her lips curved in a small, sarcastic smile, her impassionate eyes never leaving the stained blade set before her.

Yahiko lifted a fist as though to strike out at her as Kenshin had, then groaning with frustration he let his fist sink to his side and allowed himself to fall down, to sit beside her in the lingering drizzle, his back facing hers. Only one word could escape his baffled mouth. "Why?"

Finally drug out of her stupor Sachi's lips freely moved, though her emotions were well guarded behind the wall of an unexplainable melancholy smile that to Yahiko seemed to be mocking the old Sachi he once knew. "Why what?" Sarcasm laced her voice. "Why protect? Why fight? Why live? I think you know the answers to all those."

Anger boiled into Yahiko's response. "Why kill?" He growled. "And why did you never send word to us that you were alive?" There was a long pause, and the remnants of thunder could be heard in the distance, a sign that the storm had moved on. The small laughter that flowed from her caught Yahiko off guard and caused him to turn to look at her. Her scarred face was upturned towards the gray sky, the light rain washed away the blood that had splattered unto her face, and ran in stained rivers down her neck. The smile Yahiko recognized, but those eyes, those haunting ice blue eyes that stared coldly up at the sky, those eyes Yahiko did not know.

Slowly Sachi clenched and unclenched her bloodstained hands. "You kill because you have to, not because you want to. I had no choice…"

"You're wrong!" Yahiko shouted and suddenly sprung to his feet. He was surprised to feel hot tears stinging his eyes as he faced Sachi. "Kamiya Kasshin-ryu teaches to defend without taking life! And Kenshin has fought countless battles, hard battles, and yet has stayed true to his vow to never kill again!" The tears spilled from his confused eyes. "Sachi…you didn't have to kill! You've gone too far!"

Kenshin stood in the doorway, silently observing Yahiko's lecture; his hardened eyes met Sachi's and never let up for a second. She met his gaze, and this time did not avert her eyes. Her stubborn ice-cold eyes held no resentment for what she'd done, and yet they held no pride for it either. Her answer was long in the coming, and her voice held a more serious edge to it. "What would you have me do? What's done is done. I dealt justice as I saw fit."

Yahiko's fists shook with unprecedented anger. "It's people like you, with your twisted sense of _'justice' _that Kenshin's been fighting so hard to stop!" His eyes, pure with rage glared down at Sachi, forcing her to break her contact with Kenshin and look into his own. Finding her feet beneath her she stood, towering over the boy. Her eyes, like cold steel, held no emotion, which caused Yahiko's sudden outburst to falter. After a moment she turned and began to limp away. "Wait, Sachi! I-" Suddenly awash with some sort of guilt he called out to stop her, but could not find the words.

The bloodstained stranger limped a distance before her leg suddenly cramped and caused her to crash into the mud. "Sachi!" He rushed to her, but she pushed away his help. Her face twisted from the agonizing pain she slowly rose back to her feet and managed to hold her head up high.

Standing dumbly in the muddy path he watched her limp away and sadly came to realize that the Sachi he had known was no more. He turned around and was surprised to see Kenshin standing in the doorway, a blank expression on his face. Despite all his willpower Yahiko could not stop the tears that flowed down his face. Stepping slowly forward the rurouni wrapped his arms about the boy and allowed him to cry in his arms. With a sad expression on his face he watched Sachi limp away, his heart filled with the same sorrow as the boy's that they had not arrived sooner.


End file.
